Closure for refuse receivers



March 2, 1937. B. F. BOWER CLOSURE FOR REFUSE RECEIVERS Filed July 31,

l atented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Byron F. Bower, St.Charles, 111., assignor to The Howell Company, St. Charles, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application July 31, 1936, Serial No. 93,542

5 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with a closure applicable to smallrefuse receivers, such as ash receptacles, smoking stands, etc., and isdirected to certain features of improvement by 5 which dumping of ashesand refuse into the receiver may be facilitated and by which escape ofsmoke and odors from such dumped material is effectively prevented. Asimple and dependable mechanism for accomplishing these results is 10herein disclosed, a suggestive embodiment of my invention beingillustrated in the accompanying drawing in the manner following:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the closure unit applied to theapertured top of a refuse re- 15 ceiver;

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections therethrough, taken respectively onlines 2-2 and 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a detail in section, taken on line 4 of 20 Fig. 3.

The present closure unit is applicable to a top or cover T which isfitted over or upon a refuse receiver R. As shown, such a top is formedwith depending conical walls 5 for guiding ashes,

5 refuse, etc. downwardly through a central aperture 6 into the receivertherebelow. The closure unit extends across this aperture to provide animperforate door which will prevent escape of odors from the refusewithin the receiver.

As shown, this closure unit comprises an actuating rod 7 equipped with apush button 8 at its upper end. The rod extends through the top at apoint to one side of the cone aperture, being slidably supported atspaced points by the later- 35 ally turned ends 9 of a bracket In whichdepends from the top. Fitted against a shoulder H upon the rod is achanneled cross head in the form of a bar l2 whose flanges are bothapertured to receive the rod therethrough. A compression 40 spring I3 iscoiled around the rod, extending between the cross head and lower end ofthe bracket so as to urge the rod to an upper position.

To the bracket is affixed a bearing head l which extends along one sideof the conical walls 45 of the top so as to lie outside of the aperturetherethrough. A similar second bearing head I6 is arranged symmetricallyupon the opposite side of the cone, being supported upon an anglebracket I! which is affixed to the under side of 50 the top. Eachbearing head is formed with a pair of holes, one adjacent each end, andwithin each pair of opposite holes is journaled a pin l 8 having one endbent laterally and then outwardly to form a crank I9 whose extremity isslidingly received 55 within and confined by the channel of the crosshead on the actuating rod. These cranks normally are inclined inwardlytoward each other as shown in Fig. 4. A plate 20 having an arch 2|adjacent one edge to fit over the crank pin is secured fixedly thereto,as by welding, there being 5 one such plate associated with each pin.The free edges of the plates are arranged to meet closely in a linewhich extends across the aperture of the top.

To operate, the push rod is depressed against 10 the tension of thespring. The cross head is thereupon lowered with a consequent oppositerotation of the two cranks whose pins are turned through 90, or more ifnecessary. The companion plates which form the closure for the aperturedtop are caused to swing downwardly and away from each other intosubstantially parallel positions beyond the confines of the aperturethrough the top. A clear passageway is accordingly provided for theentrance of refuse into the receiver. Upon release of pressure appliedto the push rod, the plates are swung back in unison to closure positionin response to the positive equalized force exerted by the spring.

It will be noted that simplicity characterizes the present mechanism. Afeature of importance is the operation of the two closure plates inunison through 90 or more. Due to the short radius of each plate, themovements are rapid, resulting in a complete dislodgment and dumping ofrefuse whose release into the receiver is desired. This equalization ofmovement on the part of the closure plates comes about in part from thebalanced relationship of the operating mechanism. For example, the crosshead which may be loosely fitted upon the actuating rod receives athrust from the coil spring at a point centrally of its length by whichit is held against the rod shoulder in a horizontal plane; rotativemovement of the cross head upon the actuating rod is prevented 0 by thetwo cranks which are slidingly fitted within the channel thereof; andmotion both ways starting from the actuating rod, is transmitted throughthese connections to the two closure plates whose swinging movementsproceed equally, oppositely, and, if desired, with amplification, toeffect a quick, certain discharge of refuse into the receiver.

I claim:

1. For an ash receiver having an apertured top, a bracket depending fromthe top, a push rod slidably mounted in the bracket, a channeled headbar carried by the rod, a pair of crank pins slidably connected with thehead for operative concurrent but opposed movement, a pair of supportsfor the crank pins, one connected with the bracket, and a pair of plateswith meeting edges extending across the top aperture, each plate beingmounted on one crank pin for swinging movement therewith.

2. For an ash receiver having an apertured top, a pair of swingingplates with meeting edges disposed across the top aperture, andactuating means therefor comprising a push rod, a pair of cranksconnected with the plates, and a head slidingly connecting both crankswith the rod for movement of the cranks concurrently therewith inopposite directions.

3. In an ash receiver having an apertured top, a closure unit comprisinga pair of plates arranged edge to edge below the top in position toclose the aperture therethrough, a pair of crank pins arranged adjacentopposite edges of the top aperture and one affixed to an edge of eachplate adapted when rotated to swing the plates downwardly throughsubstantially whereby to remove all obstruction to passage through thetop aperture, an axially movable actuating rod disposed substantiallyparallel with the axis of the top aperture, a support in which the pinsand rod are movably mounted, and a channeled head bar carried by the rodslidably receiving the cranks of the two pins adapted to impart rotationthereto.

4. A closure unit for an ash receiver having an apertured top,comprising an axially movable push rod extended through the top, a pairof rotatable crank pins below the top adjacent the aperture thereof, aframe work afiixed to the under side of the top affording a mounting forthe rod and pins, a channeled head bar carried by the rod slidablyreceiving the cranks of the two pins adapted to impart rotation thereto,a spring exerting opposing thrusts on the framework and head bar forreturning the latter to an initial position, and a closure plate afiixedto each crank pin.

5. For an ash receiver having an apertured top, a pair of swingingplates hinged along horizontal axes at opposite sides of the topaperture and serving to provide a closure for the top aperture, themeeting edges of the plates being disposed across the top aperture andadapted to move down and away from each other when the plates are swungin one direction, means interconnecting the plates positively forunitary swinging movements in both directions, and a .reciprocableactuating device operatively connected with the interconnecting meansfor producing swinging movements of the plates in unison.

BYRON F. BOWER.

